Oncoproteomics by 3D MALDI with MRI-PET Imaging in Cancer

Oncoproteomics is the study of cancer-specific proteins and their interactions in cancer cells using proteomic technologies. Proteomics has been increasingly applied to cancer research with the widespread introduction of mass spectrometry and protein chip along with imaging tumor proteins to improve understanding of cancer pathogenesis, to develop new tumor imaging biomarkers for diagnosis, early detection of tumor staging, and chemosensitivity using a proteomic portrait of samples. Oncoproteomics has the potential in oncologist clinical practice, including cancer stage diagnosis and screening chemotherapy response based on proteomic platforms as a complement to histopathology, individualized selection of therapeutic combinations that target the entire cancer-specific protein network, real-time assessment of therapeutic efficacy and toxicity, and rational modulation of therapy based on changes in the cancer protein network associated with prognosis and drug resistance. Oncoproteomics is also applied to the discovery and artificial intelligence of new therapeutic targets and the study of drug effects. In recent years, our lab efforts on docetaxel or texol chemosensitivity theranostic imaging biomarker developments showed progressive apoptosis specific tumor proteins in different stages as visible by MALDI-MRI-PET and visible texol antineoplasm action in tumors. Our studies on oncoproteomics provided better understanding of intracellular sodium correlation with apoptosis during neoplasia development and its treatment with texol. In this chapter, the discovery of cancer imaging proteomic biomarkers, initial MALDI with MRI-PET fusion methods, and combination therapies used in clinical trials with new machine learning concepts in recent years are reviewed. The challenges ahead and perspectives of integrated MALDI with MRI-PET and oncoproteomics associated with cancer cell tumorigenesis biomarker development are introduced.